Prince of Suna
by Syynex
Summary: With his only other option being a life of servitude to his sister, the princess of Konoha, Naruto chooses instead a path of self exile, wandering the world. But it seems no matter what he might do, he's always drawn back to Suna, back to her.


**Today I decided to post all the stories gathering dust in my folders. I figure that if NeonZangetsu-Sempai can do it so can I. Don't expect updates on these, I'm just posting them so you can all see why I take forever to update. Enjoy ^_^**

* * *

A prince.

What is a prince?

The son of royalty.

What is a prince?

The male heir to the throne.

What is a prince?

In this world;

A prince is nothing.

It is the queens who rule the elemental nations, aided by their faithful kings.

It is the princess that becomes the queen.

It is the female child that is the heir.

It is the daughter that is important.

It is the daughter that is loved.

And the princes vanish into the background.

There is no life of luxury and privilege for a prince, no, a prince is only kept for two reasons; the first, and most common, is to become a protector of the princess, of the future queen. They devote their lives to the princess, doing everything to keep her safe and happy, even at great cost to themselves.

The second reason is for insurance. If the princess dies, and the queen is unable to birth a new heir, the prince is to immediately impregnate as many woman as necessary to bring forth an heir for the throne. The daughter will then be taken and raised by either the queen or the council of elders to become the perfect queen. And she will never know her true father.

Yes, the prince may be able to watch over his daughter as her bodyguard, but to speak of her true heritage is high treason, punishable not by death, but by living out the rest of their lives in agony.

And so they live out their lives as the hidden shield, the eyes in the shadows, the sacrifice expected to keep the princess safe from harm. On occasion the princess has known, and rarer yet is grateful, giving their brother praise for the selfless work they do in order to insure their well being. Situations like that are few and far in between, happening once throughout the entire continent every ten or so generations.

There was only one option, other than becoming a bodyguard, for a prince to take; that of self-exile. While they did posses the blood of the rulers in their veins, and could produce more heirs, the price was immediately disowned, rendering him unable of serving the crown and losing what little status he had in the village.

Unless pardoned by the current ruler or, in the case where there were no living rulers, the council, the children of the banished prince were born as regular children, unable to claim the throne. It was extremely rare for a prince to exile himself and leave his family forever, having happened only six times throughout history, and it was with very good reason;

It was planned that way.

The decision was given to the princes at the age of ten, when they loved their sisters dearly and saw nothing wrong with helping to keep her safe. What child would run away when he can stay with his family, who are royalty?

It was understandable that the Uzumaki family had been shocked by his own decision to leave. He was not an ignorant, naïve little boy, and had chosen freedom over captivity, the chance of carving out his own destiny instead of having it thrust upon him. When the question was asked his answer had come quickly and confidently. "I will be gone by morning." with that he had retreated to his chambers to pack what few belongings he had.

And true to his word, he had vanished by morning, evading the guards and patrols that kept diligent watch for threats to the royal family. They hadn't seen him since that evening.

His sister, Benihime, had been heartbroken, weeping in her chamber for hours. She loved her brother more than anything, and learning that he would rather leave than stay with her as a protector hurt her deeply.

His parents had been equally distraught. His mother, Uzumaki Kushina, had sat in his room, surrounded by all that he had left behind because it wasn't truly HIS. The few toys he'd been given were neatly in a small chest, his clothes hanging in the closet, his pillows and blankets on the neatly made bed, and everything else that he'd had in there-save for a bag, a small pouch of gold, two changes of clothes, and a small dagger given to him by his grandmother Mito- were left in the room.

Remaining still and silent for hours a day, she gazed about the room in hopes to finding clues to let her know who exactly he'd been, who it was that she commonly overlooked. She had pushed it off, thinking that he would be with them forever and was now regretting it. How foolish had she been to think he'd chose to stay with a family he didn't feel like he belonged in. She should've never assumed his love for his sister would bind him to them.

She often wished to be able to hold him, for what might actually be the first time, to be just a mother instead of the queen of Hi no Kuni. She wished for her responsibilities as a ruler to be taken from her so that she might focus on the responsibilities of a mother. It was too late for that though, he was long gone and had no intentions of ever returning. She had missed her chance, choosing her image as a ruler and the expectations of her nobility over her son. She had no doubt that she'd regret it for the rest of her life.

His father, Uzumaki Minato, while not reacting as strongly as his wife and daughter, was still shaken by his son's decision. He had looked forward to teaching him the ways of the protector, of building a relationship with him as that of an instructor, as he couldn't be a proper father. Minato had taken up drinking -in private, of course- in an effort to distract himself from the lack of his son's presence in his life, something that the universe had no plans of changing.

That had been seven years ago today, and Naruto, former Uzumaki prince, had yet to regret a single day.

* * *

Soft moonlight illuminated the capital of Kaze no Kuni, Suna, a city in the middle of a vast desert. The houses, packed closely together, were made of an adobe-like substance, created using what little materials were readily available.

Walls surrounded the vast desert oasis, concentric circles that separated the three main districts; Lower, Middle, and High class. The populace didn't seem to mind, and even took advantage of the walls, using them as the back of houses and saving precious material.

It was atop a large tower he was perched, one of the watchtowers scattered throughout the city for defensive purposes. The gentle summer breeze blew through his golden hair and caused twin tails of fabric- one a deep blue and the other a vibrant crimson- that were wrapped loosely around his head to flutter behind him lazily.

Hands, gloved in soft leather, rested before his crouched form as he surveyed all below him. His left hand had the addition of metal plates and dangerously sharp talons, providing great aid when climbing the buildings of Suna, something he regularly took advantage of.

He smiled lightly as the warm night air hit his bare torso, left exposed by a grey vest. The sound of his similarly grey pants and the cape-like length of his vest was barely audible as his position shifted ever so slightly.

His sword, strapped to the vest and hanging at waist level, found his hand resting atop it, a quick check to make sure it hadn't fallen during the climb. He couldn't dream of losing his sword, a gift from the most precious person in his life, the one he was on his way to see.

Digging his claw into the wall, he began his decent, speeding to the ground and only slowing down at a distance most would consider too close for comfort.

His sandaled feet hit the roof of a nearby building with nary a sound, a testament to his skills within the realm of stealth, and he began to leap from roof to roof, bounding around with inhuman grace and agility. With speed anyone would be hard-pressed to match, he made his way to the inner-most ring, where his most precious person lived.

He had been gone for the past month exploring the remains of ancient civilizations and performing minor theft throughout the elemental nations, and it was time to get back to her. Nothing would stop him, not the walls, not the guards, not the legions of soldiers determined to keep him away from her, and not her brothers. He would see her tonight, after all;

It wouldn't do to keep a princess waiting.

* * *

Sparing a quick glance to the window, Temari sighed again. She needed to stop thinking about him, he'd arrive when he was tired of traveling for a while and no sooner. And then, after his desire to explore the world rises once more he'll leave, promising to return to her. It had been like this for the past two years and she was content with it.

No, she wasn't happy that he left for long periods at a time, that he might be seeing other woman while away, but she was glad that she still had him. All day she had been waiting for him, just like the past two weeks, even though she knew he wasn't likely to visit her during the day. She couldn't help it, she wanted to see him again after being apart for a mere two weeks, and now it had been a month. How she longed to see him, to be held to his muscled chest and inhale his unique sent.

Sighing again, she turned back to the book she'd left lying on her desk, attempting to lose herself in the world it offered in hopes of taking him of her mind. It really wasn't helping, which may have been due to the fact that it was a romance novel. Giving up, she placed a bookmark in it and closed the cover. She'd save reading for when he was back, she could sit between his legs, resting against him and read, preferably in one of the family gardens, but her room would work if it had to.

Having nothing to distract her, Temari's mind began to wonder back to him once more, the thief she had met late one night digging through her parent's valuables. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, least of all him, but she had been instantly smitten by the handsome youth. In the end, his charming personality caused her to not just let him escape, but help him get away.

He returned a few days later to her, giving her an emerald pendant from Kiri in thanks. Ever since then they had spent time together, and it had quickly escalated to something more. She had little experience with other men, but she could honestly say that he was the one for her, there was no doubt in her mind. He held her heart in his hand, whether he knew it or not.

He had made it quite clear, however, that he wouldn't marry her, not because he lacked feelings for her, but because he didn't want to be a king. He didn't want to be dragged into that world, a place where only one's image matters and everything is permitted to maintain it. She respected his feelings, and would not pressure him, but she hoped she could find a way to become his wife regardless.

If it took her changing the way the world worked or forsaking the crown altogether she would do it without hesitation. Anything for the man she loved.

Giving a startled gasp as arms wrapped around her, she quickly relaxed. Of course she hadn't heard him come in, she never did. Hell, he had probably been waiting for her to turn away from the window before entering. Of all the times he had entered her chamber she still had yet to watch him arrive, something that had become one of many goals that revolved around him.

She craned her neck up to look into his brilliant blue eyes and her lips were almost instantly claimed by his own. More than eager to return it, she turned around in her chair and pressed herself close. She was pulled out of the chair by the waist and she used her legs to wrap around him without hesitation.

"Someone's happy to see me." He commented with a smile, his rough voice soft. Playfully smacking his head, she muttered a quiet 'Baka' and resumed the kiss. When they broke apart again he looked into her eyes fondly.

"It's good to see you again, Temari." He muttered, but she heard him clearly. Giving a nod, she yawned.

"Yeah, it's good to see you too, Naruto." Of their own violation, her eyes began closing, causing him to chuckle. Gently, he moved her to the bed, removing her clothing and tucking her in. Planting a small kiss on her forehead, he moved to the window.

"Do you really have to go so soon?" She asked sadly. He smiled at her.

"I'll be back tomorrow, I promise." And with that he leapt out the window, falling gracefully to what would've been anyone else's death and disappearing into the night.

The guards never even got a glimpse of him.


End file.
